Morality in Discourse

Abstract Morality is pervasive, touching all aspects of social life. The aim of this volume is to provide an introduction to research on how morality is socially constructed in and through discourse, and the implications of this for the empirical analysis and theorization of morality. The volume addresses both an ongoing gap in understanding how morality gets practically done in everyday practices, including the discursive and linguistic mechanisms participants deploy in order to be recognized as moral subjects, as well as attending to the practical concerns that discussions of morality inevitably entail. It does so by assembling a collection of current studies that delve into how morality is socially constructed in an array of communicative environments through the lens of a range of different discourse analytic traditions. Part I of this volume addresses “Moralizing in Interaction,” and the ways in which morality is enacted and interactionally negotiated in different mundane and institutional settings. Part II, “Morality and Narrative,” encompasses studies of moral positioning in narratives through the lens of linguistic anthropology and interactional sociolinguistics. The chapters in Part III, “The Politics of Morality,” concentrate on the relationship between government, (mainstream) publics, and morality, with a particular focus on studying moral condemnation and moral standing, and the policing of morality more generally. Finally, the chapters in Part IV, “Digitally Mediated Morality,” focus on the pervasive moralization of exchanges via different forms of social media and ensuing moral conflict, drawing attention to the ongoing contestation of morality in online settings.